Replacing DRC Shocks

[sash87]

Hi,

Recently bought a B7 RS4 that had all 4 DRC shocks replaced in April 2018. Have just taken it for a major service at a specialist who noticed that one of the shocks is leaking and recommended replacing it. Couple of questions:

- I know Audi recommend replacing x2 at a time, but given the shocks are 2.5yrs old and have covered <30k since replacement am I ok to just do one? Garage suggested it is ok and have quoted £650 fitted inc VAT
- How much are the decent coilover setups? MRC have Bilstein at near £2k fitted - is that what everyone recommends if going for non DRC?

Cheers

[rs user]

for drc replacement you can go koni or bilstein shocks and retain the frc springs[saves on labour at rear as only the shock gets changed] and is cheaper,retains standard height-the konis are adjustable but you cant adjust once fitted unless you mod the top of the turret about £600 ish for konis plus a few hours fitting

i have b14-a touch too low even at max height for me tbh and not refined at slow speed over poorish roads-b16 much the same except damping adjustable and more cash
the finish on my front b14 was poor after only a few months-still work as well as when they were fitted b14 about 1k ish plus fitting[bit more time than the shocks above as rear springs need removed[should replace rear subframe bolts too if disturbed] b16 about £13-1500
you also have the other popular choice of kw3-but these fail a bit more than the bilstein-look better finish though again £1500 plus then fitting
cheaper options from bc/d2 etc available

i would go koni or bilstein shocks if doing mine again for the height and more refined ride at slow speed and retain the std springs-indeed i have bought a set std springs to go to that set up next spring-it wont handle as well as the b14 and will roll a bit more but its a road car so i am never all that hard on it anyway,and usually have my dog in the back

[sash87]

Thanks for the advice. To be honest comfort and standard ride height is what I wanted to maintain most so might check out Koni - where do you buy them?

[rs user]

bloke on here sells them,or off ebay/usual suspects

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=118598

[coffey555]

I would keep the DRC to be honest.

Have a look on ebay, 2 sellers in the US selling the fronts for much cheapness!

[coffey555]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293187090422

https://www.ebay.com/itm/251813320701

Seems Audi US no longer support the RS4 B7 and have sold off all their stock!

[rs user]

trouble with the drc is its not just the continually failing shocks,its the pipework and valves that can fail
sadly they never got the reliability of the system sorted

far more reliable to have normal shocks or coilovers-for the sporting driver the coilovers handle better anyway with better/adjustable stance if you like that sort of thing....

very positive feedback about shock absorber replacements too-i regret not going that way-for my needs and age anyway-if i was younger it would be coilovers all the way

[murph7355]

It's a bit like saying "trouble with the V8 is that it was never as reliable as the 2.0 TDi and much thirstier so really the best course of action is swapping the engine".

Or "the bucket seats are always a thief magnet so far better to install standard seats".



To me these are all things that make the RS4 the proposition it is. Yes, it's expensive to look after. But it's a 70k performance car and any 70k performance car is expensive to look after one way or the other. Part of the reason they are as good as they are is that the parts that go into making it so good also contribute to it costing 70k

DRC is fiercely expensive to maintain (yup, corroded pipework here last year, and have had a couple of dampers replaced in the past). But the car handles soooooooo well and rides so nicely with it all sorted.

[rs user]

drc equipped cars are a pain,why keep something on your car which is a known weak point-they dont stay sorted for long

its a gash system,unreliable

[murph7355]

drc equipped cars are a pain,why keep something on your car which is a known weak point-they dont stay sorted for long

its a gash system,unreliable

Put simply, because it works brilliantly.

As noted, other bits of the car are also "a pain" to look after properly too.

There are some real design flaws throughout the car...doesn't mean ditching all the bits afflicted is a wise move

[rs user]

some weak points can be overcome by simple cost effective routine maintainance-ie pinch bolts caliper pins/heel plates.keeping brake discs clean inside-maintaining vacuum system,running premium fuel etc
i think the drc would be kept by more folk if you could pressurise it cheaply after a repair locally or even simple diy and if it were only say a ton or so per shock -so a failure a year would only be £100 or so-but with folk unable to get this done easily it adds to the woes and the car off the road

my personal take on it is when healthy its decent,but good aftermarket kit will enhance it and reduce the body roll which has the nose digging in

[MIDZ]

I still have DRC and don't know it's history with previous owners, though after covering 11k miles during my 5yr ownership it's still ok, but i know its only a matter of time before I have to make the same decision whether to keep or replace.
There's alot of separate components that make DRC work (accumulators, valves, pipework, hoses, shocks etc) and in my opinion for the age these cars are now the whole system needs re-newed when it finally gives up otherwise its replacing two shocks one month, then pipework the next and so on...and everytime you break into the circuit you'll have to get it re-charged with oil by a garage that has the proper charging kit, that is if you don't want to go to Audi.
Is it worth the hassle and cost, or do you take the peace of mind route with aftermarket shocks. I suppose it's all down to how much you want to spend to keep the car original, there's not many left.

[coffey555]

I guess it all depends on what people want from the car and what roads they are driving on. The majority of coilover kits will give better body control (when paired with uprated ARB's) but at the expense of ride quality. And not just ride comfort, I found my car with KW V3's and H&R arb's was significantly slower down the typical UK B road due to it being bloody stiff! Swapping out the front to stock and putting a 034 on the rear improved it dramatically, flowed down the road better, less understeer (especially in the wet). I still don't think it is as good a the original DRC system but to be honest, too much time has past between the different setups.

The real beauty of the DRC system is it allows relatively soft ARB's to be fitted as standard and it is this that gives the the B7 its brilliant ride quality. With the DRC system resisting pitch and roll under braking and corning, whilst giving a relatively plush ride in a straight line.

Totally agree regarding DRC system maintenance, if the hard pipes are corroded then probably makes sense to change out everything at the same time. The central control valves usually have corrosion on them as well but normally function ok (unless run with the system under-pressurised) but at 15 years old, they are likely past their best.

The main issue with the DRC system will likely be future parts availability (which is the currently the case with the C5 RS6). I just purchased a complete SS+ system back in November but I heard that other have been told DRC shocks are no longer available. Could be that the factory in Spain is shut due to the pandemic?

One thing to be aware of is after talking to my local indy, in their experience, B7 DRC systems seem to fail more frequently if the car has been up on a lift with the wheels hanging down for a couple of days (which was the case for me back in 2013). The theory is that the system pressure drops because all 4 corners are fully extended and this causes the damper seals to relax. They then leak so that when the car is back on its wheels and driven, the central control valves start chattering away due to the low system pressure.

[rs user]

as i am older i dont mind the car not performing like a go cart,hence the want for me to switch back to normal springs and aftermarket shocks
to take the slightly nose heavy feel off if i feel its needed i may fit an uprated rear arb at a later date,but i seldom use the cars outer limits of roadholding anyway-on our poorly maintained scottish roads its pretty decent rain wind or snow[yesterday! lol]

mine feels a tad different from most as its on 275/30/19 in any case which also makes it slightly lower[sadly] but i just put a pair new front tyres on so they are staying that way for the moment-plus they fill the arches well

[coffey555]

I believe one issue with the B14 coilovers is that in order to run the rear at around SS+ height, they need to be set to the highest setting. That means the helper springs are fully bound up which will not help the ride quality.

SS or SS+ springs with Koni (CRS) adjusted dampers seems like a good setup for road use in Scotland. Some of the roads South of Edinburgh were terrible when I still had the H&R arb's fitted. Another option is Ohlins TTX36 coilovers which are apparently better than even the original DRC system! Not cheap given the current exchange rates but if the UK manage to sign a trade deal with America they might come down in price.....

To be fair, I don't drive my car flat out, even at 15 years old it is still too quick to use all of its potential responsibly on most roads. Tanking around on motorways is a good way to loose your licence and not the most fun! But what I would say is the uprated 034 roll bar made a positive improvement everywhere. Better feel from the front end with improved ride quality with the stock OEM bar.

I will be sticking a SS+ rear on the car once I stick the DRC back on, so if you want a cheap 034 bar to try, let me know.

Currently running 8mm spacers allround on mine with standard width tyres, these fill the arches well but I did notice the change in handling with the wider track. It is also easier to curb wheels until you get used to it!

Might try 275/30/19 the next time I need tyres.